The big day has arrived for Prince Rupert, with the much anticipated Grand Opening of the Fairview Container Port set to take place under sunny skies and warm temperatures.
With all of Prince Rupert’s print media providing extensive inserts to celebrate the event, it would be hard to say you didn’t know that something was happening. The Northern View published its 48 page tribute to changing times over the weekend, while the Daily News provided a twelve page insert in Tuesday’s paper to trace the development of the project.
The Community celebration will take place at the container port today with a wide range of entertainment and speeches planned at the event, which gets under way after 5. The evening will be capped off with a fireworks display at dusk (around 9:30 or so). With parking a bit of a premium at the container port site, Shuttle busses will be running through the afternoon and evening from the Civic Centre through downtown and on to the container port.
The Daily News featured the party plans as its front page story in Tuesday’s paper.
BIRTH OF PORT’S NEW ERA IS SET TO BE MARKED IN STYLE
Entire community and many visiting dignitaries invited to huge celebration
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Pages one and two
Fireworks above the giant container cranes and the sounds of Taiko drumming will help usher in a new beginning for the Fairview Container Terminal Wednesday night.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority is holding a community celebration at the terminal, starting around 5 p. m. that will focus on food, festivities and fun.
“From the point of view of the port and its partners, we sincerely appreciate the support we have gotten from the community and we want to share this achievement,” said Barry Bartlett, manager, corporate communications and public affairs for the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
The official grand opening of the Fairview Container Terminal marks a lengthy effort to open a new trade corridor between Asia and North America. For more on the history of the project, see today’s special supplement in the Daily News.
Transportation to the community event will take place by shuttle starting at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre parking lot at 4:30 p. m., the Second Avenue Chevron Gas Station Bus stop, beginning at 5:30 p.m, and the top of Scott road for local Fairview residents beginning at 5 p.m.
There will also be on-site parking available, but given the thousands of people expected at the event, people are really encouraged to car pool as much as possible.
“We are really asking people to car pool because space is limited. To make this enjoyable for residents of Prince Rupert and surrounding communities, we are shutting down paving for the event,” he said. “We want to make sure people have a safe, fun time.”
The event includes music by the Uzume Taiko drummers with their Asian beat, Tiller’s Folly, with Canadian Celtic folk music, the Pear Band, with some Prairie tunes, a Circle of Voices with a Midwest gospel sound and Jim Byrnes with his Memphis Blues tunes.
The idea, said Bartlett, is to reflect the opening of the trade corridor from Asia into North America using music.
There will be plenty for both kids and adults to see and do – the Canadian Border Services Agency will be on hand to display some of their detection gear, CN Rail will have one of the new 100 locomotives it purchased for the project on display as well as CN’s Little Obie, a full-scale model of a locomotive and caboose designed to teach kids rail safety.
There will be a kids zone for colouring, face painting artwork and tattoos as well as a lego port and display on the Asia Pacific Gateway corridor by Western Diversification.
During the evening, there will be presentations by the port authority, its partners and the city in recognition of the event and local food vendors will be on site.
In a surprise move, the Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa will be docked at the new terminal for the event and the celebration also takes place on a Wednesday, so participants will get to view the Vision of the Seas cruise ship as she passes by.
At the end of the evening, around 9:30 p. m., fireworks will be set off over the harbour, lighting up the container cranes and HMCS Ottawa.
“It is designed for fun, festivities, food and fireworks,” Bartlett said. “This project is on time… with more than 800,000 hours of work without a serious accidents. The local suppliers and contractors, they feel a lot of ownership of this.”
Earlier in the day, the Prince Rupert Port Authority is also expecting some 800 invited guests to attend the ceremonial ribbon cutting event, including high-ranking politicians and senior executives from Maher Terminals and CN Rail.
“This event is to mark, with our partners, stakeholders and supporters the creation of a new, high-speed trade corridor between Asia and North America. It hails a new era,” he said.
With all of Prince Rupert’s print media providing extensive inserts to celebrate the event, it would be hard to say you didn’t know that something was happening. The Northern View published its 48 page tribute to changing times over the weekend, while the Daily News provided a twelve page insert in Tuesday’s paper to trace the development of the project.
The Community celebration will take place at the container port today with a wide range of entertainment and speeches planned at the event, which gets under way after 5. The evening will be capped off with a fireworks display at dusk (around 9:30 or so). With parking a bit of a premium at the container port site, Shuttle busses will be running through the afternoon and evening from the Civic Centre through downtown and on to the container port.
The Daily News featured the party plans as its front page story in Tuesday’s paper.
BIRTH OF PORT’S NEW ERA IS SET TO BE MARKED IN STYLE
Entire community and many visiting dignitaries invited to huge celebration
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Pages one and two
Fireworks above the giant container cranes and the sounds of Taiko drumming will help usher in a new beginning for the Fairview Container Terminal Wednesday night.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority is holding a community celebration at the terminal, starting around 5 p. m. that will focus on food, festivities and fun.
“From the point of view of the port and its partners, we sincerely appreciate the support we have gotten from the community and we want to share this achievement,” said Barry Bartlett, manager, corporate communications and public affairs for the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
The official grand opening of the Fairview Container Terminal marks a lengthy effort to open a new trade corridor between Asia and North America. For more on the history of the project, see today’s special supplement in the Daily News.
Transportation to the community event will take place by shuttle starting at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre parking lot at 4:30 p. m., the Second Avenue Chevron Gas Station Bus stop, beginning at 5:30 p.m, and the top of Scott road for local Fairview residents beginning at 5 p.m.
There will also be on-site parking available, but given the thousands of people expected at the event, people are really encouraged to car pool as much as possible.
“We are really asking people to car pool because space is limited. To make this enjoyable for residents of Prince Rupert and surrounding communities, we are shutting down paving for the event,” he said. “We want to make sure people have a safe, fun time.”
The event includes music by the Uzume Taiko drummers with their Asian beat, Tiller’s Folly, with Canadian Celtic folk music, the Pear Band, with some Prairie tunes, a Circle of Voices with a Midwest gospel sound and Jim Byrnes with his Memphis Blues tunes.
The idea, said Bartlett, is to reflect the opening of the trade corridor from Asia into North America using music.
There will be plenty for both kids and adults to see and do – the Canadian Border Services Agency will be on hand to display some of their detection gear, CN Rail will have one of the new 100 locomotives it purchased for the project on display as well as CN’s Little Obie, a full-scale model of a locomotive and caboose designed to teach kids rail safety.
There will be a kids zone for colouring, face painting artwork and tattoos as well as a lego port and display on the Asia Pacific Gateway corridor by Western Diversification.
During the evening, there will be presentations by the port authority, its partners and the city in recognition of the event and local food vendors will be on site.
In a surprise move, the Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa will be docked at the new terminal for the event and the celebration also takes place on a Wednesday, so participants will get to view the Vision of the Seas cruise ship as she passes by.
At the end of the evening, around 9:30 p. m., fireworks will be set off over the harbour, lighting up the container cranes and HMCS Ottawa.
“It is designed for fun, festivities, food and fireworks,” Bartlett said. “This project is on time… with more than 800,000 hours of work without a serious accidents. The local suppliers and contractors, they feel a lot of ownership of this.”
Earlier in the day, the Prince Rupert Port Authority is also expecting some 800 invited guests to attend the ceremonial ribbon cutting event, including high-ranking politicians and senior executives from Maher Terminals and CN Rail.
“This event is to mark, with our partners, stakeholders and supporters the creation of a new, high-speed trade corridor between Asia and North America. It hails a new era,” he said.
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